Fighting erupted Thursday in Tambura County, Western Equatoria state, between forces of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO), sparking fear and displacement among residents.
“For the past two days, gunfire has continued in Tambura. People are shocked, and many have fled to the roadside, saying they are ready to die,” one resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Radio Tamazuj.
The violence has raised alarm among civil society groups and community leaders, who warn that the conflict is taking on an ethnic dimension. Tensions have been rising since the dismissal of SPLA-IO-appointed Western Equatoria Governor Gen. Alfred Futuyo Karaba in February this year.
Western Equatoria State Police Commissioner Maj. Gen. Phillip Madut Tong said authorities are still gathering information and will release a full report once details are verified.
In a statement issued Friday in Yambio, the Network for Civil Society Organizations in Western Equatoria State (NeCSOs) condemned the renewed violence in Tambura, warning it was causing “untold suffering, displacement, and loss of life” among civilians.
The group urged South Sudan’s national parliament to treat the Tambura crisis as a national security issue rather than a local dispute. It also called on lawmakers from the state to unite in demanding decisive action to restore peace and protect civilians.
NeCSOs further urged the newly appointed leadership of Western Equatoria to deploy adequate security forces and logistical support to the area, rather than remaining inactive in the capital, Juba.
The group also expressed concern over reports that a United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) patrol team may have been disarmed in the area, calling for a transparent investigation to restore public trust.
“Military confrontation has never brought lasting solutions. The people of Western Equatoria deserve peace, dignity, and protection,” the statement said.
SPLA-IO spokesperson Col. Lam Paul Gabriel said SPLA-IO forces attacked an SSPDF base in Nadiama Payam, Tombura County, on Thursday, killing nine government soldiers, including a commander.
He said one opposition fighter was killed and that SPLA-IO forces seized 13 AK-47 rifles, two PKM machine guns, and one RPG-7.
SSPDF spokesperson Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang said he was out of the country and unable to comment on the incident.
Civil society activist Edmund Yakani, executive director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), also condemned the fighting.
“The use of military means to settle political disputes poses grave risks to civilians,” he said, warning that the situation could attract international investigations into possible crimes against humanity.